Seven claimed the highest-rating program of the year last night, with the network saying it reached  6.54 million people on Seven and 7plus.

The average audience during the game was 3.56 million across Australia, as the Matildas scored a 2-0 victory in front of more than 75,000 fans in Sydney to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The broadcast audience of 3.18 million was supplemented by 384,000 viewers on 7plus, which the network claims is a record for an individual event on the streaming channel.

The knockout match attracted a larger audience than last year’s AFL Grand Final and represents another landmark for women’s sport in Australia.

In Adelaide, 197,000 people tuned in – a huge audience in the local market. By comparison, 207,000 people in Adelaide watched the AFL Grand Final in 2022.

The Matildas effect is bolstering already strong ratings for Seven’s local news, which attracted 136,000 viewers at 6pm last night – more than double the figure registered by its nearest rival, Nine.

Ratings could climb even higher as the national team progresses deeper into the tournament. Saturday’s quarter-final match will be against the winner of France and Morocco, who meet in Adelaide tonight, but it will be played in a late afternoon timeslot rather than prime time.

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